page_title: Kilkenny GAA
section_title: County team
hierarchical_section_title: Kilkenny GAA / Hurling / County team
caption_attribution_description: Pictured at Croke Park before playing the Dublin hurlers. From the date, would imagine this was the All-Ireland Hurling Final - can anyone confirm this? Also doubt as to whether Dublin was the opposing team! Date: 26 September 1923 NLI Ref.: HOG93
context_page_description: The Kilkenny County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland and is responsible for Gaelic Games in County Kilkenny. The county board has its head office and main grounds at Nowlan Park and is also responsible for Kilkenny county teams in all codes at all levels. The Kilkenny branch of the Gaelic Athletic Association was founded in 1887.
  In hurling, the dominant sport in the county, Kilkenny compete annually in the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship, which they have won thirty-six times, the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship, which they have won seventy one times, and the National Hurling League, which they have won eighteen times. Brian Cody has been manager of the Kilkenny county hurling team since the 1999 championship. Colin Fennelly is team captain for the 2020 season.
context_section_description: Kilkenny is the most successful county team at senior level in the history of the game of hurling. Kilkenny has won the All-Ireland Championship 36 times as of 2019 and has won the provincial Leinster Championship on 71 occasions as of 2019.
  The 1930s proved to be one of the county's most successful decades, book-ended by two of the most famous All-Ireland finals of all-time. The 1930s saw 'the Cats' battle it out with Limerick for the title of team of the decade. In 1931 Kilkenny were back as Leinster champions before squaring up to Cork in the All-Ireland final. At half-time Cork lead. However, Kilkenny fought back to secure a draw. The replay saw Lory Meagher give one of his most outstanding displays on the hurling field. Once again Cork led at half-time. However, Kilkenny fought back to force a second draw. In the third game of the thrilling series Kilkenny were without the heroic services of Meagher. On that occasion Cork secured the victory by seven points. 1932 saw Kilkenny back in the All-Ireland final. Clare, surprise winners in Munster, provided the opposition. In an exciting game ‘the Cats’ won by a goal and claimed their first championship in a decade. The following year Kilkenny were back in their third successive championship decider, this time against Limerick. Once again, the game was a close affair; however, Kilkenny won the day to seal back-to-back All-Ireland titles. In 1935 Kilkenny regained their Leinster crown before lining out in the All-Ireland final. Limerick provided the opposition once again. In a close game Kilkenny beat the Munster men by a single point. In 1939 the team was back in the All-Ireland final. On the day that the Second World War broke out 'the Cats' took on Cork at Croke Park. Both sides were level throughout much of the game, the climax of which was played in a fierce thunderstorm. Terry Leahy was the hero for Kilkenny as he scored the winning point in the dying seconds of the game.
  Kilkenny were forced to withdraw from the championship in the early 1940s because of an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in the county. They regained the Leinster title in 1943, but Antrim pulled off the biggest hurling shock of all-time by defeating 'the Cats' in the All-Ireland semi-final. In 1946, Kilkenny were back in the championship decider, this time taking on Cork. The first-half saw both sides trade the lead on several occasions. However, in the second half Cork scored five goals to deny Kilkenny for the second consecutive occasion. The Cork-Kilkenny rematch took place in the 1947 All-Ireland final, a game many describe as the greatest championship decider of all time. Cork were aiming to win a sixth All-Ireland title in seven years, while Kilkenny were hoping to avoid being the first team in history to lose three All-Ireland finals in-a-row. 'The Cats' were leading for much of the game. However, Cork scored two late goals to nearly win the match. Terry Leahy scored the winning point once again for Kilkenny to give the county its thirteenth All-Ireland title. The All-Ireland victory in 1947 ushered in a lean period in Kilkenny hurling that lasted for over a decade. The 1957 All-Ireland final saw 'the Cats' take on Waterford for the first time in the history of the championship. The men from the Deise led with fifteen minutes left in the match. However, Kilkenny fought back to win by 4–10 to 3–12. In the 1963 All-Ireland final, Waterford fought back from being 11-points down. However, 'the Cats' won by two points. 1967 saw Kilkenny win another Leinster title before lining out in their fourth All-Ireland final of the decade. An ageing Tipp team provided the opposition; however, Kilkenny got goals at vital times and secured a famous victory. It was Kilkenny's first championship victory against Tipp since 1923.
  Many supporters of Kilkenny hurling regard the Kilkenny teams from 1969 until 1975 as being the greatest of all-time. That team featured such players as Eddie Keher, Dick O'Hara, Ollie Walsh, Noel Skehan, Frank Cummins, Fan Larkin and Pat Henderson. 1969 saw Kilkenny wrest the Leinster 
caption: Kilkenny hurling team, c. 1923
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